On Sunday, Russia reported that its forces had captured two frontline villages in Ukraine: Andriivka in Lugansk oblast’ in the east and Pishchane in Kharkiv oblast’ in the northeast.
These villages are located within close proximity from each other, less than 20 kilometers (12 Miles) apart in this region, where lately Russia has been gradually pushing forward. In its turn, the Russian defense ministry remarked that their army units had ‘liberated’ these settlements for having got better positions.
Andriivka, a village with a population of less than twenty people is one of the few places in the Lugansk region still recognizing the authorities of Ukraine as their own and it was naturally on the hit list of Moscow. Pishchane is also of tactical significance because its seizure could open the way for Russia’s advance towards the Oskil river which is approximately 10km away, ISW has pointed out.
Over the weeks, Russia has sought to assert that they have seized several minor settlements, which are in fact just a string of roads with some derelict structures at best. Still, no party has claimed an overwhelming victory and both Russia and Ukraine speak of losing thousands of people nearly two and a half years into the crisis.